The present invention relates to a bridge for stringed musical instruments and, more particularly, to a stringed instrument bridge with individually adjustable engagement devices, corresponding to each string of the instrument, which increase the tone sustaining capabilities and harmonic content of the strings and eliminates certain undesirable characteristics and functions of bridges used heretofore.
Adjustable bridges of various types have been utilized for stringed musical instruments for a number of years. The function of the bridge for a stringed musical instrument is to provide a fixed connection point for the strings to the body of the instrument. A number of these prior art devices include individual bridge elements to provide for individual adjustment of the strings in one or more directions. These individual adjustments are provided in order to achieve proper intonation and action adjustment of the strings.
Prior art bridges have provided various means for performing the functions indicated above. The most common approach is to provide a plurality of drums or pedestals each engaging a respective one of the instruments strings. In these prior art devices the height adjustment requires that generally two separate screws be adjusted for each of the individual members in order to adjust the height of the string relative to the instrument. In addition, these members are adjusted longitudinally with respect to the string by an additional screw requiring a spring, or other biasing means, to maintain the bridge element in its general position with respect to the longitudinal adjusting screw and the rear section of the base member.
While bridges of the above mentioned prior art provide for the adjustability required, they create certain unwanted problems. That is, the drums, or pedestals each connected to, and come into contact with, the bridge base only by the adjustment screws. As a result, the vibrations of the strings, which are conducted over such drums or pedestals, cause the drums or pedestals themselves to vibrate and cause unwanted movement. These vibrations also cause the adjustment screws and biasing means, if any, to also vibrate and this vibrational movement causes a loss of the strings vibrational energy. This significantly weakens the ability of the bridge to transmit the string vibrations to the instrument body and therefore adversely effects the sustain characteristics of the instrument below the level which is theoretically attainable. Further, these unwanted vibrations cause frequencies to be added to the tone being produced by the strings, causing a phase cancelling effect at certain frequencies, thereby also causing a lack of definition in the overall tone of the instrument. Since the tone sustaining capability of a string is a direct function of the rigidity of its end point connections, it can be seen that the above mentioned means can be detrimental to the sustaining capabilities and harmonic content being produced by the vibrating string. Ideally, there should be no unwanted vibration of any of the bridge members and there should be solid contact all the way from the strings resting point to the instrument body.